2020 Raiders Draft Prospect
Name: Jalen Reagor
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Texas Christian University
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 195 pounds
Stats
Speed
Wide receivers, by nature, should possess the ability to run. With that said, Reagor is more than fast. His burst, and ability to get to third gear in a hurry becomes readily present. Reagor, at times, during his career in Fort Worth, actually needed to slow down and wait for the ball. Then, he adjusts and immediately streak down field.
Hands
As mentioned, Reagor had to dealt with inconsistent quarterbacks. The velocity and accuracy affects talent. That being said, Reagor needs to clean up a little of this aspect. By stabbing the ball and cleanly plucking it, that extra time will allow for extra yardage. At the next level, he will see an increase in velocity and accuracy. With reps, this slight hiccup becomes a non-factor.
Agility
During the pattern, or after the catch, Reagor eats with twitch. With his foot in the ground and the ability to take the play anywhere, defenders immediately need to compensate. Solely focusing on after the catch, in the short game, Reagor unleashes a variety of jump cuts,and a hellacious stop/start/swipe that gains his immediate separation.
Route Tree
At TCU, Reagor always lined up on the right side. Ignore that schematic idiosyncrasy. Along with the basics (fly, slant, screen, out and post), Reagor features double, even triple moves. While the latter may not see the light of day in the NFL, just harnessing that skill means that he can run any route in the NFL. Despite standing a hair under six feet, Reagor win jump balls versus taller corners, with ease.
Intangibles
The son of former All-American and Super Bowl champ Montae Reagor, the younger grew up around the pro game with NFL players. Additionally, former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna coached Reagor at Waxahachie (TX) High School. The moment as a professional should not be too big or overwhelming for him.
Raiders Fit
Granted, Reagor may not possess the physical profile of what Jon Gruden would consider a Raiders receiver. Yet, knowing Gruden and Mayock’s attention to gut feeling, they will consider drafting Reagor in Day Two. In Reagor, the Raiders could see as close as they could draft in Tyreek Hill, without the baggage. Now, Reagor may not match Hill’s elite speed, he matches the competitive streak and could rate as one of the fastest wideouts in the draft. Moreover, he presents a much-needed wrinkle. With Tyrell Williams emerging as a lead receiver, the Raiders need help on the other side.
Reagor’s explosiveness gives the Raiders options. First, corners will eventually want to play off. If Reagor beats the press, no safety is catching him. As a result, Gruden can scheme for feasting on the vacated areas underneath. By deploying the screen or short run game in those areas, the Raiders will gain yards, and wear out defenses. Meanwhile, Reagor gives Carr a true deep threat. That is not to say, he will just run the fly and reside as a decoy. More importantly, the jet sweep, quick slants all remain viable options. The Raiders lack that twitched-up wideout to give their pass offense layers.
(Videos courtesy Jesse Fritsch and Just Bombs Productions)
